This weekend's Emirates Sevens tournament looks set to be George's swansong as hosts. The South African Rugby Union have invited tenders from prospective host cities to fill this slot on the Sevens Series calendar and Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Phokeng and Mbombela have all officially declared an intention to replace George.

By all accounts the southern Cape town has been a popular host among players, fans and officials but the tournament, purely from a logistical point of view, has outgrown the town. It needs bigger boots and Saru will decide in January on a replacement host. Cape Town (or more specifically the Cape Town Stadium) and Port Elizabeth (the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium) have emerged as frontrunners.

There is of course some irony in Port Elizabeth bidding to unseat a fellow Southern Kings franchise partner. This should not deteriorate into an internal struggle as it is obvious that the region is better served with the tournament shifting to a city that will be a more comfortable fit.

The Southern Kings, as a franchise, has been in a struggle to dine at rugby's top table and moves are afoot to expedite this. Keeping the Sevens event within its borders will be in line with Saru's plans to stimulate growth and development in the region.

Saru, perhaps to the chagrin of other provinces and franchises, has done much to help establish the Kings but their attempts haven't always been met with the same fervour from the good folk of the southern and eastern Cape.

The EP Kings, for instance, did themselves no favours when they failed to outlast the Pumas in their promotion/relegation matches for entry into next year's Currie Cup Premier Division.

Thankfully though, they did not allow the setback to break their resolve and they contend another season in the First Division is an opportunity to properly prepare for the rigours of the Premier Division and then the ultimate prize, entry into Super rugby.

Some of the Kings players, by their own admission, have to be better conditioned to compete with the Currie Cup's power brokers and entry into the Premier Division next season would have cruelly exposed them.

While the EP Kings still have it all to do to gain entry to the Currie Cup's Premier Division, the franchise has been guaranteed safe passage into Super rugby in 2013.

The problem of making six franchises fit into five local slots is easily solved if Saru can persuade their Sanzar partners to again increase the number of teams in Super rugby beyond the 15 that will compete next season.

For the moment the Kings will have to do the groundwork for a successful entry into Super rugby.

The bulk of players earmarked for Superugby would have been desperately short of strong opposition next season were it not for Saru's interventions.

Next year the Kings, on consecutive weekends, will play the Bulls, the Cheetahs and the Lions in pre-season tune-ups, and a match against Argentina or Namibia is also in the pipeline.

Later in the year Western Province and the Sharks will also provide opposition in the build-up to the Currie Cup, and the Kings will be one of Africa's representatives in an International Rugby Board tournament in Bucharest.

The franchise has also been given the opportunity to boost their coffers. They have been promised Test matches for the next three seasons, starting with a visit by the All Blacks to Port Elizabeth next season.

It is now up to the Kings to prove they are worthy of a place at the top table.